Nerd's Got Game
by TheresaRayne
Summary: Sora is inexperienced in love. He's the type of guy who would rather immerse himself in games and live his life forever as a nerd. This all changes when an unexpected meeting with the beautiful and headstrong Kairi turns his world upside down. Can this beauty change the forever alone fate of this nerd?
1. Crush 1

**Crush 1: The Meeting**

* * *

Destiny Islands/Hio Household:

"Aw man, this is awesome!" Pushing up my glasses, I leaned closer to my laptop, scrutinizing the screen as I read what was posted. Apparently, there's a new gaming convention in two weeks that's being held in Twilight Town. What luck! Roxas and I always drove there to meet with Hayner, Pence, and Olette on the weekends, so I was pretty familiar with the area.

Grabbing my notebook and pen, I quickly jotted down the location, time, and date. From behind me, I heard the door open, revealing my so called 'hotter half.'

"God, Sora, it's barely 11 a.m. and already you're nerding out?" I could sense my brother's judgment as he let out a chuckle. "It's Saturday, go out and do something for a change."

Roxas is my twin, just a mere two minutes younger than me, but there are huge differences that set us apart.

Aside from our sky blue eyes, gravity defying hair, and facial structure, we couldn't be any more different.

Roxas can pull off any style; punk, business casual, Hell, he can even pull off wearing a pair of old sweats and a raggedy t-shirt.

I, on the other hand, wear glasses, t-shirts with my favorite games and show logos on them, and would rather don myself in all of the jeans that the world has to offer.

Roxas, like our two older brothers Ventus and Vanitas, has a social life and is no stranger to talking to girls. He would constantly make me gag and feel uncomfortable when he brought _several _girls from our high school to 'hang out' a bit in our room. They usually spent this time making out before they went out on a date, which annoyed me to no end. I literally had to excuse myself from my own room to escape their display of affections.

Luckily, since he finally met Naminé in the tenth grade, he's toned down his public make out sessions, stating that his _one true love _is above such displays, believing them to be extremely intimate.

I rolled my eyes as Roxas began to search through the closet. "Honestly, I don't understand how Naminé puts up with you."

"What can I say?" Getting his signature black and white checkered jacket out, he shrugged "Naminé just knows how much of a great catch I am."

"Pfft, dude, isn't that supposed to be the other way around?" I seriously have not seen Roxas get this crazy over a _single _girl before. Throughout his life, he's always had a fan club filled with girls who would die to be with him, and he would not be ashamed to show off each and every one of them. I scoffed bitterly. Lucky for him, in my case, I don't need girls to be happy. As long as a virtual beauty like Alisa Bosconovitch exists in games for my viewing pleasure, I'm satisfied.

"Fine fine, you got me there. But," I felt him lean over my seat as he turned my chair around, forcing me to face him. "Wouldn't you like a nice girl who's like Naminé for yourself?" Roxas flashed me a wolfy grin as a feeling of dread settled over me.

"Dammit, you're not thinking about setting me up some blind date for me, are you?" I pushed him away from me as he laughed.

"Aw, you found out!" Roxas was now laughing so hard that tears were streaming from his eyes. "But seriously man, I'm just trying to help my brother out."

"And I keep on telling you that **I'm not the desperate type.**" Leaning back against my chair, I ran a hand through my spiky hair and sighed. "I'm not like you, Ven, **or **Van. Yes, girls don't flock to me like they do with you guys, but I'm okay with that."

"Sora, don't lie to my face like that." Before I could respond, he held up his hand "You're 17 years old and you haven't had a single girlfriend. Why do you think that is?"

"Because I don't care." I answered bluntly, knowing that my answer was true.

Roxas made a loud sound that sounded vaguely like an alarm as he crossed his arms, forming an 'x.' "WRONG! It's because you don't try."

"But the reason I don't try is because I really don't **care.**" Now Roxas was frustrating me. We've had this conversations a million times and my answers were always the same: I don't need to be in a relationship; I don't consider myself to be, and will never be, the _desperate _type who needs a girl to be happy.

Roxas merely smirked at me as he came closer to me. Carefully, he took off my glasses. He considered my glass-less face for a moment, rubbing his chin while speaking. "It's not like you don't have the looks. I mean _come on; _you're a part of the Hio family."

"You've got our famous blue eyes, excluding Van of course. But our facial features are so identical that it's _insane_." He stopped rubbing his chin as his smirk widened. "And I know that you can drive any girl crazy. That's why, in order to prove that what I'm saying is true, me and Nami set you up on a date with her cousin, Kairi."

"**YOU DID WHAT?**" Anger and embarrassment shot through my veins as I put on my glasses and stood, sizing up to Roxas.

"Whoa, whoa, relax man, it's only a date, besides, I've seen Kairi, and she is a total babe. Not so much like Nami, but-"

"I DON'T CARE." I quickly opened my desk drawer and took out my keys. "Tell Naminé to cancel the date, cuz I'm not going."

"Sora, don't be like-"

"Don't wanna hear it, just cancel it. I'm out." With those last words, I got out of my room and slammed the door shut, hearing Roxas's laughter echo throughout my mind. Stupid Roxas.

* * *

SunnyDay Mall/Parking Lot:

Easing my red Niisan in the empty parking space, I cut off the engine and got out. Checking my wallet, I was pleased to see that I still had enough money to buy something at Book's Paradise. "I wonder if the next issue of GamingHaven is out yet?"

Shrugging, I pressed the 'lock' button on my key's pad and proceeded towards the mall, thinking about what Roxas said.

_Kairi's a total babe. _

Okay, so I'll admit, Naminé is beautiful, so I'm sure any relative of hers is bound to be beautiful as well. Even though I've never had a girlfriend before, I still have my pride. Still, even with my pride, there's no way I can attend this date. Roxas forgot one important thing about me: because I lived my whole 17 years without talking and flirting with a girl, there's no way I can talk to girls without stuttering, screwing up, and embarrassing myself in front of them.

Sighing, I came in through the clear double doors, pushing up my glasses as I made my way towards the bookstore.

As I was nearing the store, I heard an argument take place in an accessory boutique across from Book's Paradise. I watched with mild interest as Old Lady Clair, the owner of Clair Boutique, chew out a red haired girl.

Turning my gaze away from the gray haired woman, the red head caught my attention as I quietly whistled appreciatively. I may not have spoken to a lot of girls, but I knew which ones were considered hot, and this girl was no exception. She wore a white blouse and checkered skirt, which was a standard uniform for working in the boutique. Clair didn't hire any males to work in her store, so the place was basically a smorgasbord of beautiful girls (I know this because of Roxas). Along with the blouse, all employees had to wear a name tag.

_Maybe if I stick around, I'll see her name! _Deciding that the next issue of GamingHaven can wait, I sat on the bench, attempting to look nonchalant as I stole glances at the girl.

_Curvy body, long legs that seem endless, ugh- _I was letting my imagination get the best of me. Although her face was turned away from me, I could hear her voice as she spoke to Clair.

"I don't appreciate all the extra work that you put on me! That's why I'm demanding a raise!" Man, even when she was yelling, her voice sounded like it was dipped in sweet honey to me.

"And I told you I'm not giving it to you because you always slack off in the middle of it! And just what were you _thinking _of with that **name tag**?"

I heard the girl scoff. "That was the only way to get your attention since you seem to ignore me every time I try to talk to you."

"IF YOU WANTED TO TALK THEN COME INTO MY OFFICE! Don't offend the clients!" Clair yelled at the girl in a shrill voice as she pinched her wrinkled nose. "This is the last straw, you, Ms. Mori, are **fired!**"

_Ouch, she lost her job? _The Mori girl tilted her head, and I could just picture her playful smile. "Oh, you think I'd be upset? It's quite the opposite, Mrs. Clair, _you _just saved me the trouble of quitting." I watched as she fumbled with the front of her blouse for a moment before holding out a piece of plastic in front of Clair. "Would you like this back?"

The old woman gave her a look of disdain. "No thanks; that name tag is rather fitting for you." Without another word, Clair made her way back towards her boutique. The girl shrugged and placed the tag in the pocket of her skirt, turning as she sighed.

I gasped when I finally saw her face. This girl was absolutely _gorgeous_. _Bright violet eyes, cute nose, and pink tinted lips. _God, I could feel my palms getting sweaty by just _looking _at her.

Mori neared the bench where I sat as my thoughts went haywire. _Don'tsithereDon'tsithere__**DON'T SITHERE PLEASE! **_

_Too late. _From a few inches away from me, I felt her plop down on the bench. Forcing myself to take an intense interest at the water fountain in front of me, I tried to calm my racing heart, ignoring the faint smell of strawberries wafting off of her. This was too pathetic, I was getting so nervous because of some _girl _sitting next to me, and she didn't even know me!

I felt my legs began to jitter uncontrollably, a nervous habit that I was never able to get rid of. I heard the girl sigh as she turned towards me. "So how was your day?"

I held back a choke. "W-what?" My head jerked towards her as I felt a blush form against my cheeks. I prayed that she wouldn't notice.

She giggled and ran her hand through her smooth, cherry colored locks. "Well, as you can see, I just got fired from my job. Not that I mind, though." She smiled at me, causing my heart to race by a tenfold. "Clair is a slavedriver, it's not too pleasant dealing with an angry old woman on a daily basis."

Curiosity got the best of me as I forced myself to look away from her, feeling my face burn as I asked. "So…what did your name tag say that made her so upset?"

At my question, she smirked and took her tag out from her pocket. "I'll let you see for yourself."

Gingerly, I took the tag and read it. My heart nearly stopped as I forgot to breathe.

On it was her name marked out, making it impossible for me to see it. In its place written in permanent marker was this phrase:

**Hello, My Name is WHAT YOU'LL BE SCREAMING IN BED TONIGHT**

_**~End Crush 1**_

* * *

**Do not copy this story, enjoy, and review :) **

**This story was inspired by a post on tumblr and from random lyrics sung by Fall Out Boy.**

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts and its characters, just this plot.**

**~Betaed 6-1-12**

***Update: I have decided to not use song lyrics as titles any longer. This is purely an extra precaution to protect my story from being removed :)**


	2. Crush 2

**Crush 2: Of Confrontations and Bad First Impressions**

* * *

I could feel my face turn redder and redder as the seconds ticked by. This girl had some _guts! _No wonder Old Clair was so upset.

Mori giggled beside me as she gently took her name tag from my stiff hand. "I'm guessing you've never seen anything so _risqué _before, Mr. Porcupine?"

At the sound of that horrific nickname, I snapped out of my blushing stupor. "W-w-what? Porcupine, I'm not-"

The red haired beauty began to laugh uncontrollably. "Ah, but you are mistaken." I felt the oxygen get sucked out of my lungs again when she placed a hand on my brown, spiky hair. "With this much hair _and _spikes, you are very much like a Porcupine!"

_If I stay with this girl any longer, I'm going to go into cardiac arrest! _Seriously, with just touching my hair, my heart began to sprint, increasing my blood flow throughout my body. I was surprised that my body wasn't the color of a ripe tomato already, with the close proximity of this particularly _hot _girl and all.

After a few more seconds of laughing, Mori took her slender hand off of my hair. As if remembering something, she took out her cell phone from her pocket and scratched her head.

"Well, I gotta get going now." She suddenly stood, brushing off the front of her skirt as she began to press the buttons on her slender phone. "Better break the news to my parents that I got fired." I wanted to say something, to ask for her _name, _but before I could do so, she pocketed her phone and gave me another heart stopping smile. "See you Mr. Cutie-Pie-Porcupine!"

I sputtered out a reply. "S-s-see y-you!" Cursing at myself for being so damn _pathetic_, I watched her graceful figure walk away from me as she finally left the mall.

Letting out a long, shaky breath, I got up from the bench. My legs were slightly trembling from that meeting, and I knew I had to take my _mind _off of her.

"I need a distraction." Hating that I was so pitiful during the meeting with that beautiful girl, I was sure that Mori was going to forget everything about me. "And I'll be the only one that'll remember our meeting…"

…

Back at the Hio Household:

"Oh, Sora, you're back!" I heard my mom call me from the kitchen as I was taking off my shoes. "Hey Mom, you need anything?"

Wiping her wet hands on a towel, she came and met me halfway. "No hon, I've got everything under control in the kitchen." Her shoulder length, gray speckled ebony hair was tied into a messy ponytail as her light green eyes flashed with concern. "Roxas told me that you were mad at him, and that was why you stormed out. What happened?"

_Ugh. Right, how could I forget about Roxas and his plans for a blind date? _"Roxas just wanted to set me up with Nami's cousin."

"Oh, but honey, I think that's a wonderful idea!" No, this can't be happening. _NOT YOU TOO MOM! _"I mean, Naminé is such a beautiful and kind girl, so I'm sure that her cousin-"

I held up my hand to stop her. I did not want to upset my mom by storming out of the house like I did with Roxas. "I'm not gonna go. I already told Roxas to cancel it,"

At my response, a look of hurt crossed her features. "But why? You don't seem to go out that much, and you've never had a girlfriend. Aren't you lonely?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Mom, I don't need to be in a relationship to be happy. Besides, I do have _friends_. And we do stuff together all the time."

"Well, that's true and it's great that you have friends, but they are all in a relationship, so they don't have much time for you." She shook her head and let out a laugh. "Especially that boy _Riku, _I swear that boy has a face that could start wars."

I rolled my eyes at the mention of my childhood friend, Riku. He's been a friend of our family since we were kids. Being blessed with good looks and all around great personality, it was an understatement to say that he was _quite_ popular.

"Please don't mention Riku and his all-around _perfection._ Seriously, my confidence is low enough when I'm next to him."

"Oh, don't be a spoil sport like that," She smirked and made her way back towards the kitchen. "I know that my baby boy is just as handsome, he just doesn't _try _and _care._"

I groaned, following her into the kitchen. "Just believe me; I don't need to be with a girl in order to be happy."

I watched as she turned on the sink. Picking up a dirty dish, she considered my comment for a moment when a smile graced her lips. "Why don't you ask your other friend, Xion, out?"

I choked. "M-mom, no, that can't happen!" I thought back on Xion, the girl with thick black hair and glasses that covered her features. "She's cool and all, but we're just really good friends."

"Well I think she's date-worthy for you." Scrubbing the dish, she continued on with her explanation. "You both love games, have similar tastes in shows and music…" She trailed off for a second and shrugged. "So why don't you date her?"

Holding back a laugh, I went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. "Because she's basically a bro, and bros do not date bros."

…

In Sora and Roxas's Room:

I sighed and scratched my head. Holding the bottled water to my chest, I dropped down on my bed, feeling the cool plastic penetrate my shirt. With Roxas gone (I'm assuming on a date with Nami) I had the room to myself. From my nightstand, the screen of my black Razor flashed, notifying me that I had new messages.

My friends always told me to update my phone; that everyone was going _touchscreen, _but I didn't care. This phone had lasted me a good four years, and I wasn't going to give it up for something mainstream. Flipping it open, I saw three new messages. Opening my inbox, I groaned again. Two of the messages were from Roxas. Ignoring the first two, I smiled when I caught sight of the last one from Xion.

Opening her message, it read:

_**hey sora! riku wanted to know if you wanted to get with us sunday afternoon to go to the movies? he said that his gf will be out of town, so he has freetime ;3**_

Smiling, I quickly typed my reply.

_**Sure! That sounds great, see you tomorrow then!**_

Sending my reply, I knew that I couldn't ignore Roxas's messages any longer. Knowing him, he would just keep texting me, sending me thousands of texts if I didn't reply. That was the only moment I regretted his unlimited texting plan. Sighing, I read his two messages:

_And, here's message No. 1:_

_**Sora, I don't care what you say, YOU ARE GOING ON THIS DATE. Naminé is excited and believes you two will be the perfect match. **_

_Ugh, of course this would be for Naminé. _Delete message 1, go to message 2:

_**Get ready for lunch at Seafood Sanctuary at 5:30 sharp! Me an' Nami already set up a reservation for you AT THAT TIME so you can't back out unless you want a serious ASS-WHOOPING. **_

_**Kairi is expecting you at that time and place, SO YOU BETTER NOT STAND HER UP!**_

_**LATER FOOL, AND YOU'RE WELCOME!**_

_FFFFFFUUUUUU-! _ I felt my blood boil at Roxas's stupid text. He trapped me! Seafood Sanctuary wasn't exactly a cheap place to dine and Roxas knew that I would skip out of it, which was why he and Nami made the reservation!

Looking at the time on my cell, it read 12:45. I still had a good 4 hours to think this through. Groaning, I turned on my PS3, deciding to ease my frustration through my games.

_This is fine, and I'll show both Roxas and Nami that I do not need this date! _I smirked as I held the controller closer to my face. _When I get there, I'll tell Kairi off, that I don't need her pity date. _A warm sensation washed over me as I thought of the beautiful red head that had affected my heart. "Who needs Kairi when there's a girl like Mori around?"

…

About 4 hours later…

Sunset Plaza/Seafood Sanctuary Entrance:

After slaying zombies and demons for four straight hours, I honestly felt better. Taking out my frustrations on games helped a great deal with my stress-relief. Not even bothering to shower (I had my hopes of disgusting my date away) I merely threw on a plain, black t-shirt and ripped jeans. To add to my 'hey-I'm-a-slob-gamer' look, I wore my favorite battered converse. _Heh, let's see how Kairi will react now. _

I looked at my cell and checked the time. _5:05, she should be here any minute now. _There was a nagging hunch I had that instinctively knew that Kairi would be the type to come 20 minutes early.

"Oh, excuse me, are you… So…ra?"

_Well speak of the devil… _I turned to meet with Kairi, about to tell her off, but my words were lost as I was left gaping once again.

In front of me was _Mori_, the same girl at the mall.

She was out of her work uniform now, instead, donning a pink casual dress with matching shoes. My heart began to pump at an alarming rate, making my body both hot _and _cold.

"NO WAY!" Her voice did not contain her excitement as she cutely bounced up and down. "Mr. Porcupine, YOU'RE Sora?"

But I was unable to respond as darkness came over me. My last memory was of Kairi's scream as my head hit the concrete.

_**~End Crush 2**_

* * *

**Damn my cliffies, right? XD**

**Since there have been so many encouraging reviews, I decided to update a little early ;)**

**I want to thank **_**Script Savage, Armyx, sora93kairi, newbie-jarren, Sky and Sea, **_**and my awesome beta **_**ProjXPsyClone- psiNoHeart **_**for the reviews!**

**All that said, I hope you liked this chapter, and please review :) but please do not flame! If you don't like this story, then don't read!**

**-I do not own Kingdom Hearts!-**

**~Betaed 6-3-12**


	3. Crush 3

**Crush 3: The Much-Needed Makeover**

* * *

I felt cool hands stroke my forehead as I let out a groan.

"Oh, Sora, thank goodness! You're okay!"

I recognized that _voice_; it was the same one that put my heart on overdrive every time I heard it. Slowly, I opened my eyes. My blurry vision met with Kairi's concerned violet gaze. "Ugh, what happened?"

"Heh, you, Mr. Porcupine, just passed out a few minutes ago."

Taking in my surroundings, I realized that I was lying on Kairi's lap with my glasses safely in her hand. She had done her best to move my unconscious body out of the way as she leaned against the brick wall of the building, still cradling my head against her smooth skin. We were still in the plaza near Seafood Sanctuary's entrance, which explained all the stares people were giving us as they were walking by.

Finally regaining consciousness, I quickly got off of Kairi, blushing furiously. With a smile, she handed over my glasses. Putting them on, I mentally cursed at how stupid I was. Dammit, this was just my luck! The girl that I wanted to impress, the headstrong and confident Mori, was Kairi all this time! And I made myself look like a complete ass in front of her! _Way to go, Sora!_

Kairi softly giggled as she stood, not knowing my inner dilemma as she pressed her hand against my face. Upon that contact, I felt my skin burn from where she placed her hand. "That was a pleasant surprise, I didn't expect to see you again, Mr. Porcupine."

I let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, tell me about it." Looking down at my slob gamer outfit, I frowned and sighed. "Sorry for looking like a complete idiot, I-"

Kairi smiled and placed a slender finger at my lips, silencing my statement. "And since you have dressed so poorly," A playful smirk appeared on her luscious lips as her violet eyes flashed "You owe me big time! So…I am going to give you a makeover!"

I stammered as my heart sank. _A makeover? _"I-I don't think that'll be necessary, I'll just go home and-"

"Ah ah ah, I don't think so, Mr. Porcupine." She winked at me, causing my heart to melt. _Why did she have to be so damn attractive? _"Don't you wanna go on this date?"

"Well, yeah, of course I do, but-"

"Then let's do this!" Without another word, she pulled me towards the parking lot. "We are going to go on a field trip to the mall."

...

SunnyDay Mall/ Near Midnight Beach:

"All right, now let's get you _beautified._" I wished I could share Kairi's enthusiasm, but couldn't bring myself to do so. The closer we got to the _men's _clothing store, the stronger my dread grew. I honestly was not looking forward to this whole makeover deal.

Midnight Beach was one of the few places where my brothers got their clothes. They sold mostly expensive clothing; the type of clothing guys would wear to a job interview. And Kairi was leading _me _there.

Pushing through the clear double doors, we were immediately met with Antonio, Midnight Beach's owner. "Why hello, Ms. Kairi, are you here to get something for your Father?"

Antonio smiled, revealing perfect white teeth set against his dark skin. His face was chiseled and unblemished, making me wonder why he wasn't modeling somewhere instead of staying on this small island. He wore a solid black shirt with striped dress pants with a gray and black pattern and black leather shoes. I've never been in his store before, but Roxas would often brag about how great Antonio's clothes were, complimenting his taste.

Kairi giggled beside me and pulled me closer. "No Antonio, I'm here to fix up this Porcupine, if it's possible." Her smile was beaming as my heart sank further. Antonio took a tentative step forward, making my face flush as he considered my features.

"Unbelievably spiky hair, sky blue eyes, and lips that could make any woman's heart race…" He gasped. "I cannot believe this, you are a _Hio._"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, that's me."

Antonio smirked. "You must be the black sheep of the family, Sora. Your brothers have told me so much about you."

I snorted, placing my right hand within my pocket. "I'm sure they have."

Kairi's smile widened even more as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder, causing my palms to sweat. "Wow, I had no idea you knew about Sora and his family."

"Oh, yes, I've worked with all of the Hio males." Gently, he pulled me away from Kairi's grasp as he studied me. "I'm proud to work with the Hios." He eyed me mischievously and smiled. "I consider Roxas, Ven, and Van to be my best clients and have always wondered when the day would come when _you _would step into my store, Sora."

I gulped as Kairi laughed. "Well today's your lucky day, Antonio!" She gave me her own playful smile and stepped forward, placing her hand on my glasses as she took them off. I began to protest, but she interrupted me. "Now you can give Sora your full makeover with no restraints."

Antonio laughed, pulling me along as he picked up random articles of clothing from the racks. "With pleasure, Ms. Kairi."

…

25 Minutes Later

Everything was blurry; I could barely make out Antonio's face as he studied me. I tried on the outfit that he picked out and it was uncomfortable to say the least. The collared shirt felt too soft, the pants felt like sandpaper, and the shoes were tight. How my brothers could stand this was beyond my comprehension.

"Do you need to wear your glasses at all times?" His question caught me off guard. Why would he want to know about my glasses?

"Yeah, I do." I laughed nervously. "I can barely see anything. Right now everything is just colored blurs to me."

He smiled and picked up my old outfit, placing them in the bag for me. "Well that will be easily fixed with the right pair of contact lenses." Giving me the bag, he placed a hand behind my back as he led me out the door. "Let's show off your new look to Ms. Kairi now, shall we?"

Oh crap, I almost forgot about her! She was gonna see me and laugh, I just _know _it. I've never worn stuff like this before, so it was bound to look weird on me.

Reaching the front of the store, Kairi was lazily looking through the tie selection when she saw me. Her gasp made my heart race as she came closer, taking in my new outfit.

"Antonio, you are a _genius_." She ran a hand over the silk white collared shirt and whistled appreciatively at my jet black pants and shoes. "This is much better." Smiling, she placed my glasses back on my face. Finally having my vision back, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and jumped.

Surprisingly, I did look good. The shirt showed off my broad shoulders and the black pants complimented it along with the shoes. To my surprise, Antonio picked out the right outfit, helping me get rid of my slob gamer persona so that I could turn into someone _sophisticated. _I guess if I could look this good, the discomfort was worth it. "Wow, this is really- just- wow." I was honestly at a loss for words.

Antonio let out another laugh as he looked at me with pride. "You are welcome, Sora Hio. And it has been an honor working with you."

Kairi continued to watch me with intrigued eyes. Feeling her gaze on me sent a pleasant chill coursing through my body. _I could get used to this. _

"Oh, before I forget." I walked over to where Antonio stood by the cashier. "How much do I owe you?" I knew I didn't have enough cash on me to cover it, but I did have my debit card. I don't use it often, only when it was necessary. This whole makeover seemed necessary enough; I did want to make up for my bad first impression with Kairi so accepting this makeover was the least I could do.

He thought about my question for a moment before smiling and answered. "Seventy-five dollars should cover it."

I choked. "No, wait, Antonio, that can't be the full price, I mean the shirt was _fifty-_"

He held up his hand and stopped me. "Say no more. You are part of the Hio family, and if it wasn't for your brothers, my business would not be booming right now." Speechless, I took my wallet out from the bag and handed him my card.

He rang up my bill and printed off the receipt. Sure enough, he only took 75 dollars from it. "Thank you, Antonio, I appreciate it."

"Pfft, no worries, consider this to be a family discount of sorts." I felt Kairi grab on to my hand as she smiled at Antonio.

"Thanks again for your help, Antonio!" My face began to burn again as her sweet scent bombarded my senses while she pulled me out of the store.

"No problem, Ms. Kairi, now you two run along and have fun now." A prideful smile played on his lips as he waved goodbye.

…

Back at Seafood Sanctuary:

Since we were completely late on our dinner reservation, we had to wait for a free table. Leaning against the booth with Kairi beside me, I gently massaged the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes to block out the bright lights of the restaurant.

Kairi let out a quiet laugh. "You know, we could have our date someplace else. I promise, I don't mind."

"No!" I immediately dropped my hands and looked at her, feeling my heart race at the sight of her surprised expression. "I-it's just, I wanna make up for all the trouble I've caused. I want to take you someplace nice."

She smiled and leaned her head against my shoulder. "Thank you for being so sweet."

Warmth engulfed my whole being as I fought back a smile. Surprisingly, I found myself _enjoying _this date, even if it began disastrously with me passing out.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw a girl with blonde hair giggle as she looked in my direction. Turning my head, I watched as she ducked her head, as if she were embarrassed that I caught her staring. _Weird, why was she staring in the first place?_

Kairi began to softly laugh again, catching the same girl's reaction. "Uh oh, looks like someone other than me finds you attractive." She turned her lips up in amusement and licked them, making me wonder what she tasted like. "This might be troublesome."

"Y-yeah, well, you have nothing to worry about. You're the most beautiful girl in this room."

Silence settled over us as Kairi stared at me. _Stupid Sora! You probably sounded like a creeper or something! _I wished time would reverse, so that it could prevent me from saying such stupid things again.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of soft lips against my cheek. My blush deepened as Kairi snuggled against my shoulder. "Thank you."

Right then, I felt the overwhelming urge to kiss her, to feel her lips against my own instead of just my cheek. "Kairi."

"Hmm?" At the sound of her name, she looked up at me. Leaning down, I carefully placed a hand on her chin, lifting it up. I was barely thinking, just relying on this need to kiss her. Our lips were merely inches apart as I could taste her sweet breath.

"Excuse me, Sora Hio and Kairi Mori?"

At the sound of our names, we broke apart, both of us blushing madly. In front of us was our waitress carrying two menus. "I've got a table ready for you," Her voice was strained and her grin was growing, as if she knew what was about to happen. "If you two will, come with me, and I promise I won't interrupt again." She winked at us before going off into the sea of tables.

With shaky legs, I stood and helped Kairi up. She laughed once again as we made our way towards our table. Standing on her toes, she whispered in my ear. "Maybe next time, Mr. Porcupine."

I was definitely sure my heart would burst now. _There's going to be a next time. _

I'll have to remember to thank Roxas later.

_**~End Crush 3**_

* * *

**Thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews! :D You all have made me blush so much :3 Words cannot even begin to describe my happiness right now. Thank you so much for giving this story a chance and for loving to read it as much as I love writing it :3**

**I decided to end this with a bit of SoraxKairi fluff, so hopefully this is a good place to stop. ;3**

**-Standards still apply, do not copy my work, read, enjoy, and review if you want to, but do not flame :)-  
**

**-I do not own Kingdom Hearts-**

**See you in Ch. 4?**

**~Betaed 6-20-12**


	4. Crush 4

**Crush 4: Of First Dates and Hopeful Hearts**

* * *

Seafood Sanctuary:

"So tell me more about yourself."

We sat on a comfortable booth, facing each other across the table as we picked at our plate of shrimp alfredo, relishing its creamy sauce and delectable shrimp. Kairi smiled as she twirled her fork around the pasta, placing the morsel within her mouth as she chewed. "Well, what exactly do you want to know, Mr. Porcupine?"

I slightly shuddered at the sound of that nickname, though this time not out of disgust. Oddly enough, I was getting used to it. I didn't mind being Kairi's Porcupine.

Quickly shaking that thought away, I fought back a blush as I grabbed a piece of garlic bread from the basket beside me. Clearing my throat, I answered. "W-well, I have never seen you on the islands before," I couldn't stop my face from burning as I went on. "So I assumed that you probably moved here from somewhere else."

Taking a sip of her drink, she placed the cup down and laughed. "You assumed correctly."

"R-really?" Taking one last bite out of the bread, I dropped it on my plate. Suddenly, my appetite was lost. I was much more eager to learn about her.

"So, I grew up on this kinda old fashioned place called Radiant Garden." I watched her as she picked up a napkin and dabbed her mouth. Once more, I was left wondering what she tasted like. Tearing my gaze away from her lips, I met her gaze instead to prevent my face from turning cherry red. "Radiant Garden, I heard of that place. It has cobblestone streets and a castle, right?"

She nodded and gave me another one of her heart-stopping smiles. "Yeah, old fashioned, but I'll admit, it is a beautiful place to grow up in." Her features took on a soft glow as she reminisced, making me appreciate her beauty even more. How I was lucky enough to spend time with her was beyond my understanding, but I wasn't going to question it. "I remember all of the flowers that grew around the town. When I was younger, I would often pick them, arranging all the different colored blooms to make my own personal bouquet." A soft smile adorned her face as she looked up. Catching sight of my awed gaze, she mistook my awe as a look of annoyance and apologized. "Ah, I'm sorry!" Letting out a nervous laugh, she cutely scratched her nose and smiled. "I'm probably boring you with my childhood memories."

"No! O-of course not." Blushing, I averted my eyes, feeling my legs jitter as I gulped. "Hearing you talk a-about your childhood is- I- I think it's interesting and cute."

I heard her giggle as relief settled over me. My appetite was completely gone as my heart began to race again. "You seemed to really love your hometown, s-so what made you move?"

"My dad's job, he recently got a promotion and was shipped to Destiny Islands." Sipping her drink, she tried to hide her grin. "We moved here about a couple of months ago." She began picking at her plate. "I didn't go out that much, because I had to help my parents with unpacking and whatnot." Rolling her eyes, she sighed and shook her head. "I swear; that was the _only _time I regretted having so much _stuff_."

We both laughed at her statement and I took the chance and guessed the next part of her life. "So after you settled in, you got a job at Clair's Boutique?"

"Bingo." Kairi gave me a wink, making my heart skip a beat. _I think I am gonna die of a heart attack. She's just too damn __**perfect.**_ "My parents wanted me to become more independent, so they figured I was old enough to get a job." Leaning against the plush booth, she slightly frowned in concentration. "Let's see, I probably worked there for about 2 weeks until Clair kicked me to the curb."

A sudden realization hit me as my palms began to sweat. "Does that mean that you'll be starting school soon, at my high school?" It was still pretty early in the semester, so Kairi shouldn't have too much of a difficult time adjusting to school.

Kairi nodded in response. "Yup. Since we moved to this island, I've been counting on Naminé to show me around, especially when it came to school." Smiling, a slight blush covered her cheeks. Curiosity burned through me as I was dying to know what caused her blush. _Is it because of me? _Pfft, nice wishful thinking, Sora. There's no way that _I _could be the cause of her blush. "But lately, she's been, how should I put it?" Smirking, she leaned closer and gave me a 'come hither' gesture, beckoning me to come closer.

I did as she asked and leaned in, my face lightly flushed as I heard her whisper. "Nami has been under the spell of a certain _Hio _whom I hear that you share a very close bond with."

"My b-brother, Roxas." My blush deepened, as I knew where this conversation was headed.

She nodded. "I knew Nami was head over heels in love with Roxas, so it was difficult to try and get her to focus on helping me adjust."

"And Naminé set you up on a blind date with me…in hopes of making me help you." My heart began to pump at an alarming rate as I forced myself to not throw up. _Calmdowncalmdowncalmdown!_

"Exactly." Her eyes began to gleam playfully as she placed her chin on top of her folded hands. "Trust me, Nami felt guilty that she was unable to help me. I told her that I would be able to make it through my first day on my own." Slowly, she licked her lips in a tantalizing manner, making me gulp. "However, seeing as though I may need the help, she set me up on a date with _another_ Hio, in hopes of making him 'fall for' me, thus making him stay with me."

Crap, I was gonna get Nami for this! She was not gonna let me live this down if she knew how hard I was _already _falling for her. Did she know that Kairi could wrap me around her pretty little finger with ease? We had only known each other for a _day _and already I went through a _makeover _for her.

_Heh, that's what happens I suppose. _Biting my lip in annoyance, I realized how hopeless I truly am. _Put me together with a highly attractive girl and I turn into malleable putty, able to mold into any ridiculous character just to make her happy. _

I quietly muttered underneath my breath. "I guess Nami was right about one thing."

Kairi tilted her head in confusion. "Did you say something?"

"N-nothing! I was just saying…that I'd be more than happy to show you around." _And possibly become someone closer to you._

Kairi smiled softly. "Thank you." Her lips turned playful. "And I'll also enjoy spending time with you, _Sora Hio._"

I could feel my heart jump to my throat, effectively making me choke as it beat in anticipation.

…

30 Minutes Later:

Sunset Plaza Parking Lot:

With our dinners finished and paid (obviously, I took charge of the bill) we made our way towards Kairi's car. With her leading the way, we took a few more steps and stopped in front of a midnight blue Miata sedan. "Well, this is my ride." Taking a moment to search through the pockets of her dress, she pulled out a thin wallet and a set of keys. Turning, Kairi surprised me by wrapping her arms around me, causing my heart to jump out of my chest. "I'll see you Monday?"

Turning my head slightly, my arms were locked in place as I was unable to return Kairi's embrace. I wanted to, _God _I wanted to, but the clumsy Sora began to take over as I stuttered. "L-listen K-Kairi, uhm, t-this Sunday, me and my friends are going to see a m-movie."

"Hmm? Well that sounds fun." Letting me go, she tilted her head, wondering why I brought up this random piece of information.

"Y-yeah, since you're still new around here, you could hang with us Sunday, I'm sure they'd like you... I-I mean, if you w-want?"

Twirling her keys around, they made a gentle 'clink,' each key hitting the next as she considered my offer. After a few seconds of silence and me not breathing, she let out a disappointed sigh and shook her head. "I would love to go, but since I got fired, my parents are forcing me to go out and look for a new job tomorrow."

"O-oh, okay then." My heart sank a bit, but that feeling didn't last long. Suddenly, she grabbed my face with her two slender hands and brought my lips down to meet hers. Blushing wildly, I fought to regain control of my emotions as her tongue slipped into my lips, as if tasting me. As soon as the kiss began, she abruptly pulled away, smirking slightly as she winked at me. "Maybe next time, Sora."

Flabbergasted, I watched with my mouth wide open as she unlocked her car and got in. With one last wave, her ride sprang to life as she eased out of the parking lot, driving away as she left me speechless.

Something told me that I was never going to figure this girl out. With a smile, I made my way back to my own car with a single thought running through my mind. _But I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life getting to know her better._

…

Back at the Hio Household:

As I was closer to my home, I saw an _all too _familiar black Mustang convertible parked out in front of our driveway. With nowhere else to park, I had no other choice but to Parallel Park along the sidewalk. Getting out, I prayed that my _brother _would be asleep once I entered the house.

Getting out my keys, I tried to keep myself from shaking nervously as I turned the lock and entered.

"Oh, Sora! You're finally home!" I gulped as I heard my mom's gushing voice. "And just in time too, your brother Vanitas is here!"

Before I could prepare myself for Van's famous 'noogie-and-headlock' welcome, I was immediately faced with my leather-clad brother. "'SUP NERD, you missed your bro?"

His built physique towered over me as his gold eyes gleamed. With jet black hair and strange, 'mysterious' eyes, girls always fell for his 'bad boy' demeanor, and he was _irritatingly _good at keeping up this image.

Finally getting a good look at my attire, he did a double take and took a step back. "Holy shit dude, who are you and what have you done with my little bro?"

"Van, watch your language." I heard Dad's warning tone and groaned. Great, now Dad was home from work too! They were gonna see my outfit and _laugh. _I was never gonna live this down.

With speed and accuracy, Van caught my head between his forearms as he grinded his right fist against my head, causing sounds of protest to be heard from me. "You little punk-ass! You think you're all badass now just cuz you _think _you look fine?" His grinding increased with intensity as he let out an evil cackle. "Well I've got news for you, little bro, if you think you're gonna beat me in getting the _ladies, _you've got another thing coming!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, boys, take it easy!" The patriarch of the Hio family stepped out in an attempt to intervene, but I'm guessing his intentions were lost when he looked at me. "Wow, Van was right, what happened to Sora?" Scratching his own head of ebony spikes, he considered my outfit again with a look of confusion. "Son, did you lose a bet or something?"

"What's all the commotion about; and why isn't Sora in the living room?" _Great, my nightmares are now a reality_. From behind Dad, Mom and Roxas stood looking at me. A gasp was heard from her lips as a smirk played on Roxas's own features. "My baby…! You look so handsome, oh, I just wanna _pinch your cheeks!_"

"Okay, I'm completely lost." Van finally let go of me as he shoved me towards Mom. She continued to chatter excitedly, praising whoever dressed me up so _well. _Dad still stood awkwardly as he pointed at me, demanding some sort of explanation. "What happened?"

"Well Dad," Roxas began as he stepped closer, whistling in appreciation at my makeover. "Let's just say me an' Nami set him up on a date with a _lovely _girl, which explains why he is dressed so _maturely_."

"Awh man, no way! Sora? On a date? Tell me, did she have a nice ass?" Van licked his lips in eagerness as Mom gently slapped his arm. "Now you stop with the vulgarity, Van! Let Sora explain his whole date in the living room." Ushering us all along, a feeling of apprehension came over me. Knowing that there was no way to keep the events that happened between me and Kairi today a secret with _both_ Van and Roxas around, I knew I was screwed.

_**~End Crush 4**_

* * *

**Again, your reviews have made me so happy! :D You readers are so kind! Thanks again for loving this story ;3**

**-same old rules still apply, don't copy this story's plot, read, review, and enjoy-**

**Looking forward to seeing you in Chapter 5 ;3**

**-do not own Kingdom Hearts, just this plot-**

**~Betaed 7-6-12**


	5. Crush 5

**Crush 5: R-E-L-A-X**

* * *

At the Hio Household:

45 Minutes Later…

My face began to blush uncontrollably in embarrassment while Vanitas and Roxas continued to laugh at me. I wanted nothing more at the moment than for the earth to swallow me whole. _Just give me anything to stop this torture._

"Dude, no way, Kairi _made _you get a makeover? I knew that outfit was too good for you to actually _own_."

"Pfft, tell me about it, Roxy, I honestly knew how easily it is to get Sora _whipped_, but now that I know how he got his outfit, I'm actually getting sense of just _how much _he is whipped!"

I had just finished explaining my date to everyone _against my will, _but I was lucky enough to leave out the juicy bits such as when Kairi actually kissed me with some _tongue _action_. _Even with that bit out, my embarrassment couldn't have been any stronger. Mom kept her hopeful gaze on me, saying "My baby boy is in love, _oh, _I should record this in my journal later" and Dad was just as bad. He chimed in and stated that I was "Finally becoming a man" with a grunt and a nod.

"Whatever," standing up from the couch, I unbuttoned my shirt and made my way upstairs to my room. "I told you all how it went, now can you all just _please _leave me alone?"

"Oh come on Sora," I rolled my eyes and stopped midway up the stairs, glaring at Roxas. "Is that all that happened?"

"Yeah man," mischief gleamed in Van's eyes as he smirked. "You can't tell me that nothing _physical _happened."

I fought hard to _not _blush as my brothers gained up on me. "Oh yeah, those intimate caresses across the cheek-"

"Close to, oh, I don't know? Those luscious lips-"

"Both meeting for a kiss?"

I sputtered, trying my best to think of a comeback, but luckily, Mom saved the day. She calmly stood and walked towards Van and Roxas's sitting form on the couch. Taken by surprise, a look of confusion crossed their features as she smacked both Van and Roxas across the head, earning grunts of pain from both of them. "Now you boys stop it! Honestly, who _kisses _on the first date?"

Grinning, I mentally thanked Mom for holding on to her old fashioned views as I went up the last bit of stairs and into my room.

-Fast Forward-

~Sunday Afternoon~

Hio Household/Sora and Roxas's Room:

The events that happened yesterday were _stressful _to say the least. Don't get me wrong, it was awesome that I got to go on that amazing date with Kairi, but I'll admit, things could have gone a lot smoother. Now that I was fully awake, I quickly put on my favorite Square Enix shirt, sneakers, and jeans, ready to go pick up Xion and meet Riku for lunch and a movie.

Feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket, I flipped it open, opening the text from Xion. It read:

**can't wait to see you! gosh, it's been so long since we've hung out like this! with Riku in college and all, he barely has time, you know? ;3 i'm ready to go when you are~**

Smiling, I replied with '**be right there in a minute**' and hit 'send.' From beside me, Roxas groaned, still in bed as he turned, laying his arm across his eyes. "Go away, Sora, you're ruining my sleep."

"Shut up, it's already 1, man." I picked up my pillow and flung it at him as he let out another groan. Picking up my keys, I made my way out of the room, letting Roxas continue with his 14 hours of beauty sleep.

Going down the stairs with eagerness, I was finally ready to relax with my friends and have absolutely no drama to deal with.

…20 Minutes Later…

"Can we get something to eat first? I'm absolutely famished."

"Sure, you wanna get the usual?"

"Hell yeah, Burger Empire, I could use a cheeseburger drenched in ketchup and mayo right about now."

Easing to a slow crawl at the stop light, I quickly shifted lanes until I was at the left side of the road. Switching on my turn signal, I looked over at Xion. "Tell Riku to meet us at Burger Empire."

Dressed in a plain white blouse and jeans, Xion groaned and reached into her pockets, pulling out her sleek Android and texted Riku. "Done and…done!" With a few more taps on her screen, she smiled and pocketed the gadget as she leaned back against her seat, folding her arms behind her thick ebony hair while stretching her legs.

Laughing, I uttered "You are totally a bro."

As if proving my point, she let out a small belch. Fixing her glasses, she tilted her head. "Hmm? Did you say something?"

Sighing, I shook my head. "Nah, it's nothing, just the usual thoughts."

Shrugging, she quickly forgot about my statement as we neared the fast food joint. "Ah, look, Riku's here!"

Sure enough, Riku's silver Jeep was parked near Burger Empire's entrance. Even after all the years that we had eaten at this fast food joint, I couldn't get over how ridiculous its structure is. With one last sharp turn, I park my ride right next to Riku's Jeep, the castle-like building of the burger joint towers over us, looking as though it were a cheap remake of Cinderella's Castle from DisneyWorld.

"Hey, Riku!" Xion excitedly hops over to where the silver haired male stands, lifting her arms up as she wraps them around his figure. He smiles and returns the gesture, mussing up her already messy hair in the process. "Hey, Shi, long time no see." Glancing up, he saw my approaching figure as Xion ended her hug with Riku. His aqua eyes shone as he grinned. "Sup, Sora?"

"Not much." With our usual greetings done and over with, we each made our way into Burger Empire. "So whose turn is it this time to buy lunch?"

Not missing a beat, Riku came forth with his wallet, sighing. "I'll do it, what do you guys want?"

Smiling, we gave him both our orders as our friend rolled his aquamarine eyes, pinching both mine and Xion's noses as our face scrunched up in discomfort. "You guys never do grow up, huh?" After a chuckle, he let us go and made his way towards the cash register, placing in our orders as we went and looked for a seat.

"Ow, did Riku have to pinch that hard?" Xion's nose was slightly pink from Riku's pinch as she scowled.

Chuckling slightly at her, I placed a gentle hand behind her back and led her to a booth in the corner of the restaurant. "Come on, Riku's paying, so at least give him the satisfaction of this one little pinch." From beneath my hand, I felt her stiffen as her face turned to a redder hue. _Weird, is she not feeling well?_

From the stiff nod of her head and the way she quickly made her way towards the table, I decided not to ask if she was feeling well. Shrugging, I sat on the opposite end facing Xion as she fiddled with her hair.

Out of all my friends, Xion was the only one that showed little change throughout the years. Her dark hair was always tied in a messy ponytail with a few strands of hair falling across her pale face. She would often dress in the same outfits. Her school uniform consisted of a t-shirt, hoodie, and jeans, while her casual wear consisted of blouses and jeans. Xion would always state that she would not be caught dead wearing a skirt.

"Uhm, Sora, can I ask you something?" _Huh, well this is strange. _I nodded. "Sure, Xion, what's up? You know you can talk to me about anything."

She bit her lip for a moment as she pushed up her glasses. Taking a deep breath, she began. "Sora, I wanted to-"

As she was about to tell me what was bothering her, Riku stood in front of us and slammed the tray of food down, nearly spilling our drinks across the table. "Hey, sorry for the long wait." Cutting her off, Riku plopped down beside her and grabbed some fries, shoving it in his mouth as Xion refused to meet my gaze.

"Uh, okay, aside from Riku's interruption, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

Shaking her head, she frowned as she reached over the table and grabbed her wrapped cheeseburger. "I wanted to know what the due date was for our take at home Chem exam."

Laughing, I took my own burger and answered. "The assignment is due in two weeks; trust me, you have time to procrastinate."

Smirking, Riku threw a fry at my face. "It's your senior year; shouldn't you at least _try_ to take your classes seriously this semester instead of being a lazy bum?"

"Whatever, Riku, I know that I'll pass Chem with a B minus _at least._" I retorted while throwing the fry back to him. Xion finally broke out of her strange state and laughed along with us. "But you know that if you tried, you could easily ace that class. Aren't you good with memorization and numbers?"

"Yeah, I am, but it's because I'm so good at it that it bores me."

We continued on with our familiar banter, asking how Riku's college life was and discussed what classes we were all taking.

As Riku was in a heated discussion on how high school does not properly prepare the student for college, his cell phone rang. He paused for a moment and pulled his phone out of his pocket. When he saw the person who messaged him, he shrugged and slid it back into his front pocket.

"Huh?" Xion tilted her head, munching on her burger as she asked with her mouth full. "Who wash dat?"

Sighing, Riku grabbed a napkin and handed it over to her. She gave him a 'thanks' and took it, continuing to devour her meal. "It was just Serena."

Serena Fey was what you would call your stereotypical 'beauty queen.' She had flowing, gold hair, jade green eyes, full lips that was always painted in a natural peach shade, defined cheekbones, and a curved nose that oozed feminine beauty. Of course, it was only natural that she was attracted to Riku.

I had only seen her once or twice, and didn't know much about her. All I knew was that she was completely into him. She seemed nice enough, and was definitely beautiful, so I wasn't sure why Riku seemed to be blowing her off by ignoring her message.

"Oh, why didn't you talk to her? Me and Shi wouldn't have minded." Taking a sip of my drink, I watched as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"I talk to her every day at school and at home." Taking a napkin, Riku began shredding it to little bits as the pieces floated down on to the tray. "We go on dates almost every weekend. She's finally gone on a short trip somewhere, and I finally have time to spend with my friends."

"So her texts can wait." Leaning back against the plush booth, a slow smile played on his lips as he tossed the last bit of paper on the table.

Grinning, I thought of a way to make Riku angry as I continued. "Sounds to me like you may not be that interested in the _lovely _Serena Fey."

I got the reaction I was expecting. His aquamarine eyes widened as his usually calm façade began to crumble. "And why do you think that?"

Xion began to giggle nervously as she placed a hand on his arms. "Oh no, Riku, don't fall for it! Sora's just trying to get you riled up, that's all."

"Aw, come on Xion, you can't say that you don't agree with me," Taking a big gulp of my drink, I set my cup down, smiling as I spoke. "Most guys would love showing off a girl like Serena and bend to her every whim. I'm sure they would jump with joy if such a gorgeous girl texted _them _first instead of the other way around."

Riku let out a drawn out sigh as he shook his head. "Didn't I just explain that I see enough of her?"

My grin widened. He played _perfectly _into my trap. "Ah, yes you did Riku, but I was making a point in saying that if a guy could be with a girl like Serena, he _wouldn't_ be able to get enough of her."

Xion trembled nervously as she looked from me to Riku, not sure of what to say as she waited for his reaction.

For a split second, Riku's calm expression was completely shattered as a faint blush appeared on his face. Quickly coughing, the blush immediately disappeared as he regained his composure. Taking his drink, he closed his eyes and took in a sip. "I like her just fine, you are just an idiot."

Before I could laugh and make fun of his momentary blush, Xion interrupted. "So, uhm, what movie did you guys wanna see?"

"Oh yeah, we still haven't picked out who's gonna pay for the tickets." Drawing my attention away from Riku, we all eyed the carton of fries. There were at least five untouched pieces left as we reached in and grabbed one at random.

"Whoever gets the shortest one has to pay?" Xion asked as she looked over at me and Riku.

"Yep." Riku confirmed her question "But let's make this more enjoyable, whoever has to pay gets to pick out the movie."

"That seems completely fair." I licked my lips in anticipation. "In that case, I'm seriously hoping that I get the shortest fry!"

Xion groaned and shook her head. "Your movie is gonna suck then."

"On the count of three, we see who has the shortest fry." Riku drew in a breath. "One."

"Two." I responded eagerly.

"Three." At Xion's final count, we held our palms open, revealing the slender potato piece. Riku had the longest fry while I had the shortest. Raising my fist up in a fist pump, I celebrated my small victory as a worried look crossed Xion's features.

"Yes! We are going to see the premiere of 'Devour My Heart!'"

"No, not that zombie movie!" Xion gaped at me. "I knew that your movie was gonna suck."

"Then it's settled, Devour My Heart it is." Riku stood, moving out of the way as Xion followed suit. "But remember, along with paying for our tickets, you have to buy all of the snacks that we want."

"Yeah yeah, I know that, let's just hurry and see if we're lucky enough to watch the afternoon showing of it."

…

In SunnyDay Mall/ Regal Entertainments Theater:

After spending a whopping 80 dollars on Riku and Xion's ticket and huge bucket of popcorn and super-sized drinks, I held our three tickets and hurried towards the ticket booth. The worker stood tearing the tickets in half and handed them back to the client with a bored expression. When it was our turn, I gave him our three tickets. Tearing each of them in half, he licked his chapped lips and said "Welcome to Regal Entertainments, your 2:34 showing of Devour My Heart is in Room 13. Enjoy."

Following his instruction, we each made our way down the hall and arrived at Room 13. Pushing the door open, I held it open for Riku and Xion as they made their way into the theater.

We went up a flight of stairs and looked around the massive room, searching for seats. The place was packed, but luckily for us, there seemed to be about 5 seats open near the middle row. "Let's take those seats. I'd rather have a ton of leg room than be on the top row."

Taking Riku's advice, we made our way towards the empty seats. Sitting down, I eagerly awaited the opening sequence as Xion sat in between me and Riku, glancing up nervously at the screen. Riku whispered a few words to her, and she nodded in response as she munched on her popcorn. Not sure of what Riku said to her, I shrugged and helped myself to the bucket of buttered goodness.

As the previews finished up, I watched in anticipation as the movie's logo appeared. I knew I was in for a good ride when the opening scene was of a woman holding her hand against her bloody chest, begging the so called 'demon' to spare her heart.

It was about 45 minutes in to the movie that I realized something was off about Xion. Glancing at her, I saw that her complexion was paler than usual as she trembled slightly at the sight in front of her. I placed a hand over her shoulder and whispered "Shi, are you okay?"

She nodded stiffly in response as she glued her eyes to the screen, as if she were determined to get through this. It wasn't until the demon tore its claws against the latest victim's chest, spewing blood out across the screen that I finally heard Xion gag as she ran out of the theater.

Without another word, Riku and I both ran after her, calling her name as she exited the cinema. We both caught up with her as she sat on the wooden bench, catching her breath as she shut her eyes. "Xion, are you okay?" Riku sat next to her, staring at her with concern.

"I-I'm fine, just not in the mood to see blood is all." The color was beginning to come back to her skin. I felt like a total jerk for making her watch this movie and apologized.

"I'm sorry Shi, I should have picked a different movie. We can watch something else, I swear, I'll buy you guys a new ticket and everything."

Xion shook her head and smiled weakly at us. "No, I'm fine now; you guys go ahead and finish the movie. I'll stay out here and wait for you."

Riku snorted. "There's no way in hell we're leaving you out here alone."

At that moment, Riku's phone began to vibrate. Letting out a curse, he took it out and stared at the screen. "It's Serena, she left me 5 messages and is now calling me, I better take this." Gesturing over to Xion, he said "Take Xion somewhere to get some fresh air." Walking away, I heard him mutter an apology into the phone as he explained that he was at the movie theater.

Knowing that I was the reason Xion was feeling like crap, I offered my hand out to her. She smiled and gently took it, standing up as we began to walk aimlessly around the mall. I knew I had to make it up to her somehow, so I let her take the lead as she led me to Clair Boutique. "I've never been in here before; do you think they have anything cute?"

My throat began to tighten as my thoughts wandered to a certain auburn haired worker who had just lost her job there. "How should I know, this store is for girls." I responded thickly. I cleared my throat just as she laughed. "Typical guy answer." She silently led me in the store as she let go of my hand, browsing the charms and trinkets that scattered around the display.

"Hello, how may I help you?" A cheerful and cute girl with brown hair came out and smiled. Her name tag read 'Selphie T.' which sounded familiar. She might have attended the same school as me, but I couldn't be sure since I didn't pay much attention to other people.

"Ah, yes," Xion pushed up her glasses and looked at Selphie. "Do you have any cute necklaces?"

"Why yes we do, Miss." Urging us both to follow her, we came to the back of the store where thousands of necklaces hung. "Ms. Clair is always looking out for the latest fashions so I'm sure these will satisfy your needs."

Xion thanked Selphie as she cheerfully nodded and made her way back to the cashier. Looking at the display of necklaces for a few minutes, Xion let out a gasp as she picked up a thin silver chain. As its charm, the necklace had three shooting silver stars dangling across the chain. It wasn't anything overly decorative, but it was simple and elegant in its design. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, very much so." Xion looked at the tag in disappointment and sighed. "But I don't think I can afford this right now."

"How 'bout I buy it for you then?"

Xion froze and looked up at me, her face slowly turning pink as she stuttered. "N-no, that's not necessary Sora! Really-"

"Come on Shi," taking the necklace from her still fingers, I gently took off the price tag and put the clasp of the necklace around her neck. Securing it in place, I watched as the chain swung from her slender neck until finally settled on her blouse.

Xion looked down at the necklace and smiled. "Thank you, Sora."

I laughed. "It's the least I can do." We both made our way to the cash register as I placed the tag on the counter. Selphie smiled and rang up the price as I paid for it. "Does that mean you forgive me for almost making you pass out?"

Xion considered my statement for a moment as we walked out of Clair Boutique. After a few more seconds she burst out in laughter and lightly punched my arm. "Although you were a total jerk for choosing that movie, this necklace makes up for it, so yes, I forgive you."

_**~End Crush 5**_

* * *

**I apologize for the long wait! Thank you for being so patient with this story :)! It took me a while to complete this chapter, but I'm happy at how it turned out and hope that you enjoyed reading this as well.**

**The next update will come as a little bit different. Although it may come off as a surprise, the next update is crucial for this plot's development, for lack of a better way to describe it XD.**

**Can't wait to see you again, and thank you for giving this story a chance :)**

**-Standards will always apply, no one is permitted to copy this plot/story, review if you feel like it, and faves and subscriptions are always welcome :D!-**

**-I do not own Kingdom Hearts, just this plot-**

**~Betaed 8-13-12**


	6. Interlude I

**Interlude I: A burst of hope**

* * *

Rie Household/ Xion's Room:

Her heart was pounding against her chest, Xion could feel its palpitations as her blood coursed throughout her veins at a galloping pace, painting her pale skin a light shade of pink. Clutching her favorite bunny plush close, she squealed into its soft and worn fur. Rolling around her bed, if anyone had seen her, they would assume that she was in love.

She was.

After Sora had dropped her off at home, she immediately ran to her room and let out a happy scream. The goofy smile was glued to her face as she replayed tonight's events over and over again.

Xion had always harbored deep feelings for the spiky haired boy. Sora Hio, her first true friend, but who soon morphed into her first crush…and now first love. Blushing, she gently held the delicate necklace, counting the three stars at least a thousand times as she kissed the tiny charms.

The young girl felt as if her wishes were coming true. She couldn't remember the amount of times she had wished for Sora to return her feelings. Ever since they had met, she had wanted to form something special with him.

* * *

_[reverse time, let's go back to the day that started it all]_

_-About 3 Years Ago…-_

"_Well if it isn't Xion." Snickers were heard throughout the halls as the shy girl ducked her head, playing with the ends of her backpack. Biting her lip, she stupidly looked up to see the person teasing her only to regret it. It was Serah, the most popular girl in 11nth grade. She twirled her pink hair and popped her bubblegum, chewing it as she considered the lowly freshmen. _

"_Ugh, she's wearing that ratty looking hoodie again, does she not know how to dress?" Serah's friend nudged her as they both let out a laugh. _

_Keeping her tears at bay, Xion knew that she should have been used to comments like this. Quickening her pace, a sudden slam against a locker caused her to jump. "Not everyone has the money to dress like a spoiled brat like you, Serah!"_

_**Wait, someone is actually sticking up for me?! **__Gulping, she saw a boy around her age with wild spikes as his hair. His blue eyes darkened angrily as he pushed up his glasses and stood next to her. Serah huffed and crossed her arms. "I can't believe someone as lame as you is related to Roxas. You're just jealous because you're considered a 'nerd.'"_

_He shrugged, placing a hand on Xion's shoulder, making her blush. "Judge me all you want, but at least I don't let other people's opinions change the way I act."_

_Rolling her eyes, Serah popped her gum again and walked away. "Save your lecturing for someone who cares."_

_With her dramatic exit, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. Biting her lip once again, the young freshmen felt completely embarrassed. Not only had this guy stuck his neck out for her while she remained meek and quiet, but she had probably made him late for his next class. _

_Rubbing his head, the boy turned to her and gave her a cute smile. "Hey, so you okay?"_

_Gulping, she nodded in response, feeling a bit too overwhelmed to speak. "T-thank you, you k-know, for doing that."_

_He let out a laugh and scratched his head. "Don't worry about it, I was getting tired of Serah looking down at you all the time, I should have spoke up sooner though." He sighed, and she was about to tell him that it was all right, that he didn't have to stick up for her in the first place, but his smile was just too serene and beautiful. "Just because she looks good, doesn't automatically make her a good person." Letting out a laugh, he held his hand out to her. "I'm Sora by the way, Sora Hio."_

_Smiling a tiny smile, she held out her own hand. "And I'm Xion Rie." _

"_Cool, let's be friends from now on." Letting out another airy laugh, he placed an arm around her, nearly knocking off her glasses. "Let me know if you're ever teased again, and I'll be happy to give 'em a mouthful in your defense." _

_[return, to the present…]_

* * *

Sighing dreamily, there was no way Xion could ever forget that smile. It made her feel special, like she was important to him.

"But…does he like me enough to see me…as more than just a friend?" Gently, she played with her necklace. She had never seen Sora flirt with any of the girls at school, nor had any of them flirted with him. Call it selfish, but Xion felt a bit relieved at that fact. "Less competition is always a good thing right?"

She had always been too afraid to confess, mainly because she didn't see Sora treat her any differently than as just a friend, until today.

Blushing, she played with her necklace again. Maybe this was a sign. Since Sora had gotten her this necklace and placed it over her neck, she remembered seeing his eyes soften just a bit. It was because of that one action that caused a burst of hope to surge through her veins.

She now knew she had the courage to confess to him tomorrow and not be afraid.

With her resolve strengthened, she nodded and stood, going over to her laptop to type her journal entry. Booting up the slender machine, she felt that keeping her thoughts in the safety of her computer seemed much more private and safer than keeping her thoughts in notebook with a flimsy lock. She prided herself in the fact that no one could guess her password, which made keeping a journal in her computer a lot safer.

Quickly typing in her password, she immediately opened a new Word document and began typing:

_**xx-xx-20xx**_

_**Tonight was amazing. I just got back from hanging out with Sora and Riku. But that's not what I wanted to type about. You see, Sora, being the dorky Sora I know and love, chose to see a gory horror flick, which I am not fond of. About 15 minutes of the movie had passed, and I already felt myself getting sick. My heart was racing, and I could feel the blood drain from my face. **_

_**I knew I wasn't going to make it. So I ran out of the movies. **_

_**Long story short, I kinda ruined my friends' night with my weak tolerance for gore. So they agreed to do something else for my sake. At that moment, Riku's girlfriend called and he had left to answer the call, leaving me alone with Sora.**_

_**Yes, you heard me. ALONE. WITH. SORA.**_

_**So you could just picture my excitement, I had tried to confess to him earlier, but faaaiiiiilllleeed. Sora decided to help me feel better, so we walked around the mall until I reached that cute store, Clair Boutique. It was there that Sora bought me a necklace I had my eyes on. Because of the necklace, I feel brave enough to go through with what I am planning.**_

_**This is what I am now promising myself. The first thing I do when I see him tomorrow is that I'm going to confess. FOR REAL THIS TIME. I want to be with Sora so much, I can only pray that he'll feel the same. **_

_**WISH ME LUCK! **_

_**~Xion~**_

**~End Interlude I**

* * *

**Yay, first update in 2013 for this story! **

**I apologize for the long wait, as it took me some time to find a proper way to write this part of the story –w- as I mentioned before, it's different from what you reader's have read, because I'm actually taking on Xion's perspective in the Third Person. I will keep this format to keep this story a little fresh and interesting by using this format: Five chapters in Sora's POV and the next chapter after in Xion's. **

**With this format, you readers can see that this story does not merely involve just Sora's budding romance with Kairi ;3. **

**Welp, that's all I gotta say! Thank you so much for being patient, I apologize for any mistakes, and I hope to see you in the next chapter!**

**[Do not own Kingdom Hearts, just this plot]**

**PS: I know Serah is very OOC in this, but, her prettiness made her fit the mean girl stereotype for this AU story, so I'm sorry if I made any Serah fans upset, trust me, I love her too, she's my fave FF girl :x believe it!**


	7. Crush 6

**Crush 6: The New Girl in School**

* * *

Monday Morning/ Hio Household:

There were two types of seasons in Destiny Islands, sunny, hot, and humid or straight up monsoon.

Today, it was the latter.

Violent winds threatened to break the windows of my room as I groaned, cursing at myself for losing my umbrella within the mess surrounding my room.

Scratching my head, I sighed and grabbed my backpack. "Oh well, it's not like a flimsy umbrella could keep me dry from this storm anyway."

Exiting the room, I nearly ran into Roxas as he stumbled a bit down the steps. "Watch where you're going, Sora!"

"Shut up, jerk."

A sudden slam broke us out of our argument as Van appeared out of the guest room. "Damn you brats are loud. You always fight like little wussies in the morning?"

Roxas and I flipped him off and glared, speaking at the same time. "Go back to your high rise apartment in Twilight Town and leave then."

With a look of shock on our faces, we were surprised to see that we had said the exact same thing. With a snort, Van started humming 'The Twilight Zone" theme as he gave us both a noogie, making us nearly fall from the stairs. "No can do bros, I got the week off from work and plan to mooch off of Mom's cooking for as long as I can."

"Boys, hurry up or you'll be late!" Mom was heard from the kitchen as we struggled against Van's grip. With one last grind, he pushes us away and yawns. "Back to bed for me, later losers."

Rolling our eyes, we got down the stairs, taking them two at a time until we reached the bottom. The weather outside had lightened up significantly, the downpour slowing down to a slight drizzle, but the sky was still painted a grimy shade of gray.

Sighing, I put on my shoes as Roxas gulped down a glass of orange juice, courtesy of Mom. "Just lettin' you know, I'm riding with you today."

I stopped lacing my shoes and glared at him. "What? No way, take your own car."

He snorted, nudging me over as he put on his own pair of sneakers, zipping up his hoodie when he finished. "As if I would be caught dead driving in this weather."

I was about to protest until Mom's warning tone was heard. "Sora, he's your younger brother, you have to take care of him."

With a triumphant smirk, Roxas replied, "Yeah man, I am the youngest, you gotta do as I say." I rolled my eyes. "Fiiiiine, Mom." Swinging the door open, I pulled up my own hood to shield against the rain. "We're off."

* * *

20 Minutes Later/ Destiny Bond High:

As soon as I parked, Roxas put on an all-knowing smirk, annoying me with his grin. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, I gritted my teeth. "What, Roxas?"

"So, I heard a rumor that a certain _red haired beauty _is starting her new day here."

My heart began its mad beat, feeling my face get hot. Embarrassed, I quickly got out of the car and grabbed my backpack. "What's your point?"

He let out a laugh; further grinding into my nerves as I quickly shut and locked the doors of my car. Roxas knew he had me where he wanted me and continued with his taunts. "Come on, I know you wanna see her."

_Calm down Sora! Do not let him know! _Of course I felt incredibly happy that Kairi would here, but there's no way in Hell that I would admit that to Roxas, even if I did technically owe him for the date in the first place.

Unable to hold back the blush any longer, I pulled up my hood and ran ahead towards the school, avoiding my brother's smug expression as best as I could.

As if reading my mind, he laughed, running along side of me as we entered the school together, much to my dismay. "So, since I knew the first date was a hit-"

"Oh god, noooooo." I groaned, making my way towards my locker. I knew where this was going. "Fine, so I had an awesome time with her, there, you happy?" I twisted the combination on my locker until it snapped open. Roxas's grin made my blood boil, but it faltered slightly when he caught sight of a 'beautiful, flaxen haired maiden that stole his heart.'

"Naminé!" I held back the urge to puke as I got out my Gen Chem textbook. His voice was always so saturated with love whenever he saw her, like she was the only girl in the world.

Trying not to roll my eyes, I watched as Naminé flung her arms around Roxas, her lips meeting with his in a much too passionate kiss.

It reminded me of how Kairi had kissed me that Saturday night.

Immediately pushing that thought away, I cleared my throat as Naminé pulled away from Roxas, embarrassed that she had done that in my presence. "H-hey Sora, how are you?"

"Just fine, thanks." I knew what she wanted to ask when she shyly played with the straps of her bag, but Roxas beat her to it. "If you were wondering, babe, Sora had a wonderful night with Kairi and was just about to thank the both of us for setting them up."

Her blue eyes immediately brightened as she clapped happily and blushed. "Oh, that's wonderful Sora, I knew you would love Kairi! She's the best!"

If only she knew how true that was.

"Holy shit, that chick is hot." A male's booming voice was heard as the double doors opened, revealing the girl that made my heart beat its mad tattoo since the moment I first saw her.

She was absolutely gorgeous, wearing a light pink jacket that hugged her form with skinny jeans that showed off her long legs. Her red hair stuck to her face as droplets of rain ran down from her hair and into the curve of her neck.

Upon seeing that droplet of water, I had this overwhelming urge to taste her skin, catching the droplet with my tongue. Blushing a deep red, I tried to keep the deviant thoughts at bay as I swallowed thickly.

All eyes were on her, in awe like I was as they admired her natural beauty. Her lips were painted a pale shade of pink as they turned and smiled at me. "Sora, you're here!"

Shocked gazes were exchanged the moment Kairi ran over to where _I _stood and wrapped her arms around me. "I've missed you, Porcupine."

Roxas and Nami both gave us a knowing smile, which I caught, but was too elated to care. This beautiful girl actually _liked_ me. I actually got the attention of the new girl in school, and I couldn't have been any happier.

"H-hey Kairi," realizing that she had actually chosen me, the people stopped staring and continued on with their business. I heard the occasional 'How the hell did that nerd get her?' and 'She could do so much better' but I honestly didn't care right now. I felt like I was on top of the world.

Placing a kiss against my cheek, she moved away from me as she greeting Naminé and Roxas. "And you must be Roxy," I stopped listening to the conversation and instead focused on her arms wrapped around my waist. I gently unwrapped her embrace and held her hand. If she had minded, she didn't say anything. A small smile played upon her lips as she returned the gesture, squeezing my hand slightly while keeping her gaze on Roxas and Naminé.

He gave her a wink. "The one and only."

She laughed, the sound of it similar to sweet music in my ears. _Damn, I really was whipped. _"Just lettin' you know, Nami is crazy for you, and if you do anything to hurt her, I will come and get you!"

Roxas laughed along with her, placing his arms around Naminé's shoulder, making the shy blonde blush. "Wouldn't dream of hurting my baby, so you have nothing to worry about. This girl has changed me for good."

"Ah-uhm, S-Sora?" I heard Xion call me when I turned, still holding on to Kairi's hand.

"Hey, what's up Xion." For some odd reason, she looked strange. When I turned around with Kairi, her navy blue eyes widened. With trembling lips, she looked down as her breathing became labored.

"X-Xion, are you okay?" Concern was laced across my features as I tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

Several awkward seconds had passed until Xion finally looked up and gave me a beaming smile. "Oh, it's nothing, haha!" Something was wrong, that smile felt too forced, too big. And that laugh…What was wrong with her?

Twisting the front of her hoodie, she acknowledged Kairi and held out her hand. "Oh, I believe we haven't met. I'm Xion, Xion Rie, Sora's best friend."

Smiling herself, Kairi let go of my hand and took Xion's, shaking it gently. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Kairi Mori, and I'm kinda new here." The two continued to speak politely, not looking at me as I turned over and stared at Roxas and Nami. They moved a few steps away from me, letting Xion and Kairi talk as they whispered.

"I thought she would be over him now…I didn't think-" Nami looked like she was going to cry, but Roxas comforted her.

"It's not your fault babe, look, we'll figure something out…"

I caught on to bits and pieces of the conversation. They both seemed uncomfortable, as if they knew some secret and weren't telling me.

Suddenly, the five-minute bell rang, making Xion jump. "Look at the time, I should be getting back to class, hahaha." With one last bow, she muttered a 'see you later' to Roxas and Naminé and ran.

Shaking their heads, Nami wished Kairi a good first day and left to class with Roxas, leaving me alone with her.

My throat felt tight. I knew Xion was feeling bad, but I wasn't sure what was upsetting her. I hated seeing her upset. I knew I had to do something. She was my best friend; it was my job to make sure she was okay.

"She seems really nice." Kairi's smile was genuine. "I'd like to get to know her better, would that be cool with you?"

"O-of course!" I looked down at her and smiled, but this strange feeling in my gut was telling me that having Kairi and Xion together would not be the best idea.

_**~End Crush 6**_

* * *

**Wooooo! Update! I am extremely proud of this!**

**Well here's the next chapter as the drama unfolds. What will happen next? **

**Thank you so much to all you new readers out there for the alerts/favorites :D I hope you will stick with this story until the end!**

**I apologize for any mistakes!**

**[I don't own Kingdom Hearts, just this plot, and please, do not copy this work in any shape, form, or way.]**

**See you in Crush 7!**


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